Boat fender-brake.



J. BOYDBLL.

BOAT FENDER BRAKE. l APPLICATION FILED N0-V.3,v1909.v 959,299. Patented May 24, 1.910.

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J. BOYDBLL. BOAT FENDER. BRAKE.

APPLIOATIoN HLED Nov. so, 1909.

959,299. Patented May 24, 1910.

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mvawkoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ISOYDELL, 0F SUDBURY, ONTARIO, CANADA.

BOAT FENDER-BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 24, 1910.

Application led November 30, 1909. Serial No. 530,604.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES BOYDELL, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Sudbury, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Boat Fender-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has for its object to lessen the disastrous results incident to collision of vessels on the high seas during a fog or at night, both with reference to yessels colliding with one another and with icebergs and running upon shoals and reefs.

The invention is designed to equip ocean going vessels and analogous water craft with protective means, which may be held out of the way during clear weather and when no danger is impending and which may be lowered into operative position when danger is imminent to prevent if possible collision or to mitigate against the usual disastrous results following a collision or the running of a vessel upon submerged obstacles, such as floating icebergs, shoals or reefs.

The invention further contemplates automatic operation of the protective means in the event of the vessel striking an object, such as another vessel or iceberg, the protective means being lowered into position for readiness to drop into active position in an emergency, such as stated.

The invention consists of the novel features, details of construction and combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more particularly set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part of the specification, Figure l is a side view of the invention applied to the bow of a vessel, the full lines showing the fender or protective means elevated and the dotted lines showing the protective means moved to a position of readiness and dropped into active position. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, illustrating by diagram one form of means for automatically releasing the protective means when moved to a position of readiness so as to drop into active position. Fig. 3 is a front view of the parts illustrated in Fig. l, the protective means being raised, as indicated by the full lines in Fig. l. F ig. 4 is an end view of the windlass, showing the manner of releasing the same automatically. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the outer end of the boom i provided with the circuit closer, whereby the electric circuit containing the release magnet is energized.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description, and indicated in all the views of the drawings, by the same reference characters.

The invention contemplates equipping the bow of ocean going vessels with protective means which when not required for immediate use may be elevated so as not to be in the way and which in time of danger may be lowered into position to be readily dropped into active position, so as to utilize the resistance of the water to retard the forward movement of the vessel and also to act as a buffer either to prevent otherwise disastrous effects of a collision or to so modify the force of the impact as to prevent serious c.

injury to the craft, the protective means offering an extended surface for the water to act against and also to distribute the force of the impact and thereby prevent the bow of one vessel cutting into the side of the vessel struck.

In carrying out the invention a fender or guard l is provided, the same consisting of a plane of any determined resisting surface according to the size of the vessel to be equipped. The fender or plane is horizontally elongated and is preferably curved throughout its length. The fender is mounted so as to be elevated when not required for use or to be submerged when in action to offer resistance to the forward movement of the vessel and thereby materially reduce its speed, so as to prevent disastrous results in the event of collision. The broad extent of surface presented by the fender or plane besides acting as a resisting surface also serves to distribute the force of the impact over an extent of surface so as Jto prevent cutting through the side of a vessel or the staving in of the bow of the vessel colliding with a second vessel or 0bstruction. A substantial framework supports the fender or guard l and comprises side arms 2 and braces 3 and 4. Thev side arms 2 extend parallel and are connected at their outer or forward ends with the fender l. The braces 3 and l strengthen both the framework and the fender. End braces 5 also strengthen the terminal portions of the fender. The side arms 2 are of any substantial formation and are pivotally connected at their rear ends to the vessel 6 to admit of the fender being raised or lowered. The manner of pivotally connecting the arms 2 to the vessel 6 is unimportant so long as a substantial structure results. A shaft 7 extends transversely through the vessel and is mounted in the heavy timbers or hull structure thereof and its ends extend beyond opposite sides of the vessel and receive the arms 2, which are mounted thereon in any manner. Vhen the fender 1 is elevated it clears the water and is wholly out of the way.

Any means may be devised for raising and lowering` the fender. As indicated a windlass 8 is mounted upon the deck of the vessel or other convenient position and cables or chains 9 are adapted to wind thereon and have connection at their outer or forward ends with the framework or supporting structure of the fender to admit of raising or lowering the latter, said cables or chains passing over suitably arranged guide pulleys mounted upon the vessel, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, or as may be necessary according to the manner of applying or equipping a vessel with the protective means. The windlass 8 is provided with a ratchet wheel 10, with which coperates a pawl 11 so as to hold the fender elevated when not required for immediate use. It is to be understood that when the pawl 11 is disengaged from the teeth of the ratchet wheel 10 the fender will, by reason of its weight, drop into active position. Any means may be provided for effecting disengagement of the pawl 11 from the teeth of the ratchet wheel 10. 1t is preferred to effect release of the pawl 11 by means of an electrically controlled device, thereby simplifying the structure. For this purpose an electro-magnet 12 is arranged so that when energized the developed magnetism will detract the pawl 11 and move the same away from the teeth of the ratchet wheel 10. The pawl 11 is provided with an armature 13, which may be supplied in any manner and when the electro-magnet 12 is energized the armature 13 is attracted, thereby with the result that the pawl 11 is disengaged from the ratchet wheel 10. rl"he electro-magnet 12 is included in an electric circuit 14- containing a battery or generator and provided with a circuit closer 15, which is located at the outer end of a boom 16, a push button 17 being located at the extremity of the boom and arranged to close the contact pieces forming the circuit closer 15. vWhen the push button 17 is pressed inward by coming in contact with a vessel or other object the circuit including the electro-magnet 12 is closed, with the result that the windlass 8 is released and the fender free to drop into active position so as to become submerged, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and retard the advance of the vessel and in the event of a collision to distribute the impact so as to reduce the force of the blow to such an extent as to preventdisastrous results.

The boom 16 consists of a pole or mast secured to the structure or framework supporting the fender 1 in any manner so as to project forward from the fender a distance to insure the same coming into play at a critical time to prevent serious injury to the vessel or vessels in collision or about to collide. It is to be understood that the boom 16 is of such construction as to be destroyed after performing its function, the only purpose of which is to carry the push button 17 or to give warning of the approach of the vessel to an object such as another vessel or iceberg. The boom 16 is centrally located and is braced by stays or guys 18, which extend from its outer end to the four corners of the fender, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 3. To prevent lateral displacement of the fender and insure movement of the same in predetermined lines rails 19 are provided and attached to opposite sides of the vessel at the bow, said rails 19 constituting a track, which is curved on the arc of a circle having its center coinciding with the axis of the fender or guard 1. 1n the event of a vessel equipped with the invention meeting with a fog or encountering a dark night the fender is low* ered from the position indicated by full lines in Fig. 1 to a position of readiness, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, above the surface of the water, so as to be in readiness to quickly drop into an active position in the event of collision. When the fender is dropped into a position of readiness, as indicated by A in Fig. 1, the boom 16 extends forwardly so as to come in contact with a vessel, iceberg, or other object and give warning of impending danger and at the same time in the event of the boom coming in Contact with an object the fender is released in the manner stated and drops into the active position indicated at B in Fig. 1, in which the fender is submerged and acts asl a water break to prevent or retard the forward movement of the vessel and subsequently to act as a buffer in thev event of actual collision so as to prevent otherwise disastrous results. A second guard 20 is provided and its purpose is to prevent a vessel from running upon a shoal or reef and comprises a framework o-f substantially arch or V-form embracing opposite sides of the bow of the Vessel and pivotally mounted upon the shaft 7 and having at its apex a head 21 to come in contact with a submerged obstacle and prevent the vessel running thereon or giving timely warning to admit of reversing the engine or otherwise manipulating` thev vessel to avert danger. The guard 2O is adapted to be raised or lowered and for this purpose a windlass 22 is mounted upon the vessel and a cable 23 connects the front portion of the guard 20 with said windlass.l The guard 20 is arranged to have its side members engage with the rails 19 forming the track. The guard 20 is adapted to be operated independently of the guard or fender l, or may be arranged to operate in unison therewith.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is-

l. In combination with water craft, a guard connected with said craft and adapted to be submerged, means for holding said guard elevated out of the way, a detent for holding the guard supporting means in active operation, and means for automatically releasing said detent by impact to admit of the guard automatically dropping into operative position.

2. In combination with water craft, a fender consisting of a plane located at an end of the craft, arms located-upon opposite sides of the craft and pivoted at their inner ends thereto and having said fender secured to their outer ends, braces connected at their outer ends to the middle portion of the fender and at their inner ends to the said arms, other braces connectingthe first mentioned braces with the outer ends of the arms substantially at their point of connection with the fender, and means for raising and lowering the fender by a pivotal movement of the arms.

3. In combination with water craft, a fender located at an end thereof, arms embracing opposite sides of the craft and pivoted at their inner ends thereto and having said fender rigidly connected to their outer ends, a boom projected forwardly from a middle part of the fender, stays between the outer end of the boom and the end portions of said fender, and means mounted upon the craft for eecting a raising or a lowering of the fender and boom.

4. In combination with water craft, a vertically movable fender located at an end thereof and consisting of a plane to be immersed in the water to check the speed of the craft, connecting means between said fender and craft, means for raising the fender and holding the same elevated, a boom projected forwardly from the fender, means for effecting release of the fender elevating mechanism, and means carried by the outer end of the boom to automatically bring into play the means whereby the fender elevating mechanism is released to permit said fender to drop when the means at the outer end of the boom is actuated by impact with an obstruction.

5. In combination with water craft, a fender located at an end thereof and consisting of a plane to be immersed in the water to check the speed of the craft, arms located upon opposite sides of the craft and pivoted at their ends thereto and having their outer ends firmly connected to said fender, braces connecting the arms with the middle portion of the fender, a second set of braces between the first mentioned braces and the arms, a third set of braces exterior to the arms and connecting them with the ends of the fender, and means for raising the fender and holding the same elevated.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J AMES BOYDELL.

Witnesses:

W. J. MONTGOMERY, J. W. HANNINE. 

